Galatians 2:20 Archives - Verses from Mama

Getting It Right – Christ in me is the answer!

February 26, 2016 By Sandra Sheridan 1 Comment

“I will never get it right!”

These words sometimes haunt my soul. In times of sadness or overwhelming pressure the heavy weight of incompetence drags my emotions to great depths. Every move, every decision, every encounter is laced with feelings of failure. There seems to be no way out of this maze of insecurity.

These false impressions plague everyone at one time or another. Times of physical and mental fatigue or very difficult circumstances can be the conduit for hopeless thoughts that tempt us to give up.

Often what we need is rest. Going to bed at an appropriate hour and sleeping deeply can reverse one’s view of a situation tremendously.

Other times we may need to take a break. We can put aside the things that are bothering us and do something fun. This may seem counterproductive when you have a minimum amount of time to accomplish a task, but the short break will refresh your mind and feelings.

Exercise is another helpful activity when it comes to changing the mental picture we have of circumstances or ourselves. A good brisk walk gets the blood pumping and sparks the brain to think more clearly.

But very often what we need is a change of perspective. When doubts about our personal ability to “get things right” threaten to undo, it is helpful to realign our thinking.

We Christians must remind ourselves that we have died with Christ and no longer live. Instead Christ lives in us. This life that we now live in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us.

The thought struck me the other day that my feelings of inadequacy are also dead. They have been swallowed up in the life of Christ who lives within me. The One who has all power is the One who moves in and through me, so how can I even think the distressing words, “I will never get it right!”

When someone is seeking to live by faith God will guide him or her through every move, every decision, and every encounter. He will provide the strength and wisdom that is needed for each situation. Consequently, there is no need to feel powerless or incapable because you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.

“I will never get it right!”

This thought is just a bunch of dead words. The truth is that the One Who lives in a believer is infinitely powerful. And when you are allowing Him to live in you and control your life, you can always get it right!

Love,

Mama

Let Go and Experience the Refreshing Plunge of Faith

February 19, 2016 By Sandra Sheridan 2 Comments

2 Corinthians 4:10 “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”

I have come to the conclusion that a person must let go of something good in order to gain what is better. This is very hard to do in a world that promotes the mindset that everyone should grab all they can get. But in God’s economy you must let go of what the world has to offer in order to receive what is the best. This takes faith!

I remember as a child our family vacationing one summer near a lake. While there I splashed in the waves at the edge of the shore and built sandcastles on the beach. Out in the deeper waters was a large slide on which many of the older children played. They climbed to the top and sailed down the incline into the cool refreshing waters. My dad convinced me to try, so we waded out and I climbed to the top of the ladder. As I perused the scene from the top of the world, my courage faltered. It was a long way down! My dad stood at the bottom cajoling with the promise of catching me, but I remained paralyzed.

Finally the prodding of the noisy kids in line behind me convinced me to move. I grabbed the edges of the slide and inched my way down holding on for dear life. I finally made it to the bottom, but my hands were scraped from grasping the metal side. The joy of the ride and the refreshing plunge into the water were lost to me. I was too afraid and didn’t have the faith to let go.

In the Bible God consistently points us towards faith in His promises. He calls us to let go of the earthly life we know and so highly value in order to experience the fullness of what He has to offer.

For example:

To experience God’s salvation, we must let go of our desire to handle things on our own (Titus 3:5).
To experience the full benefits of this eternal life, we must let go of our sinful ways (Galatians 2:20).
To have a part in bringing others to the knowledge of God’s plan of salvation, we must be willing to let go of comforts, privileges, and safety in order to spread the news (2 Corinthians 4:10,12).
To invest in heavenly treasures, we must be willing to cheerfully let go of our earthly wealth (Proverbs 3:9-10).
To meet our physical death with confidence, we must be willing to let go of our physical body in order to receive the glorified body God has promised us (1 Corinthians 15:53).

Unfortunately, I never did go back on the slide that day. By not trusting my father, I now know that I missed out on the thrill and the enjoyment of a great ride into the water.

Do you want to experience an exhilarating ride with all the blessings God has for you? Step out in faith that is focused on Him! Surrender everything in order to receive God’s best. If you hold too tightly to the world’s offerings, you will get to the bottom of the slide with scrapes all over your hands and miss the refreshing plunge at the bottom.

Love,

Mama

Linking up with Live Free Thursday today! Thank you for the opportunity!

Don’t Hold Your Breath

January 23, 2015 By Sandra Sheridan Leave a Comment

Galatians 3:3 “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (NASB)

I have decided to hold my breath for the next week or so. It takes a lot of effort to inhale and exhale 21,600 times a day and I just need a break.

What would you think if someone told you this? You would probably think she was a nut, and rightly so. It is obvious that if you decide not to breathe, you will not be around for very long. We all need oxygen in order to survive on this earth. Why then do so many who are Christ followers choose to cut off their supply of spiritual oxygen?

When we accept the gift of spiritual life that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead to give us, we receive the Holy Spirit Who comes and lives within us. This Spirit of Jesus is what gives us life and the power that is necessary for Godly living in this evil world. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

When Jesus was preparing to go back to the Father after His resurrection He gave His disciples the job of telling others about their opportunity to receive this same spiritual life through faith. As He granted them peace in a hostile world, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). His Spirit is what would make their witness come alive to those around them.

If the ability to be right with God and the power to live a God-honoring life comes from the Holy Spirit, why then do we try to stop sinning, witness, and “be good enough” in our own strength? That is just like holding your breath and trying to receive the oxygen needed for life in some other way. It just is not possible.

This is just what the Galatians were doing. They had come to know Christ as their Savior through faith and received His Holy Spirit power, but they decided they would go back to the old way of doing things. They would try to follow and obey God’s law on their own without His help. They had begun by the Spirit, but thought they could become perfect in their flesh. Paul does not mince words when he calls them very foolish people.

What about us? Are we still trying to be good on our own and doing what we think God wants in our own strength? Are we trying to hold our breath and imbibe the life-giving oxygen in some other way? It will never work, so let’s not be foolish. Open your mouth wide and fill your spiritual lungs. Allow God’s Spirit to permeate you and give you power for living. After all God’s Spirit is Who gives life (John 6:63).

Love,

Mama

The Great Potato Crop

September 15, 2014 By Sandra Sheridan Leave a Comment

Good Morning,

The verse of the day is John 12:24. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (NASB)

This weekend Dad started digging up potatoes. The cool September weather was perfect to begin uncovering this buried treasure. You carefully penetrate the earth at the base of the hill with your fork, turn over the soil, and examine what you find. The dirt falls through the fork tines leaving an abundance of tubers.

I am always amazed at the harvest when I think back to the spring when we first planted the seeds. From down in the root cellar we excavate all the left over potatoes from the year before. They have gotten old and started to get soft. But the amazing thing is that from these useless potato leftovers sprouts have begun to grow. By cutting pieces containing potato eyes and planting them in the newly turned earth they begin to take root. When the autumn rolls around you can easily expect to harvest 5-10 new fresh potatoes from each plant. What an investment!

Jesus used the example of a grain of wheat falling into the earth and dying. One little grain when it dies will grow into a plant that bears much fruit. He was explaining that His time to die was about to come. It would seem like such a waste to those who loved Him, but in giving up His life many other lives would receive the opportunity to live. This was the only way to save the world from the spiritual death of eternal separation from God. The fruit of His resurrected life would be all those who believed in Him and accepted the everlasting life He offered.

Jesus also calls all who would follow Him to this same kind of sacrifice – first being willing to give up the right to our own life and letting Him be our Master. Then to live our lives to glorify God and let our light shine before others so they may see the new life we have received and desire it for themselves. “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.”

Some believers have actually been called to give their physical lives for the sake of the gospel, but all of us are called to be living sacrifices. This is our spiritual act of service to the One who gave up everything for us. We no longer live for ourselves but for God. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

Learn a lesson from dead shriveled up potatoes. In letting them die and planting them in the ground, they produced a crop that will keep us fed this winter. By accepting Christ as your Savior and allowing your old way of living to die with Him, He will produce the amazing crop of eternal life for you and for all those around you who believe. Now that is something that is worth the investment!

Love,

Mama